Mikayel Minasyan to Bright Armenia party's leader: You broke the backbone of our state today, committing political and moral suicide

In a recently shared public post on Facebook, former Armenian Ambassador to the Holy See Mikayel MInasyan has responded to Edmon Marukyan, the leader of the Bright Armenia party, who announced his political team's intention today for not joining the colleagues from Prosperous Armenia in applying to the Constitutional Court. Minasyan blamed the politician for " breaking the backbone of our state, committing political and moral suicide".

Below is the full text of the his address:

"Edmon, do you know the difference between you and Hrayr [Tovmasyan, the chair of the Constitutional Court]? There's a great deal to say. A great deal of things that get condensed in the reality that Hrayr Tovmasyan's godsons are being arrested upon the madman's order, resisting all the attacks as real men, whereas your own godson betrays you upon the first suitable occasion to later watch, sitting back at the National Assembly, his godfather being humiliated and then beaten. These are objective consequences.

"It has been two years now since they started accusing you of being my 'project', thereby leading you around by the nose at the expense of your own dignity. You are living in the morbid reality of Nikol Pashinyan, having become the slave of that reality. Out of the fear of being associated with me, you have turned into a puppet, a deplorable attaché  of the enemy of the people and the state, destroying numerous bright young people's future and political career. 

"You did have the choice today. And the choice was between the state and the enemy of the state. You opted for the latter, hammering in, with your own hands, the final nail in the coffin of Armenia's democracy. Swallowing your dignity and succumbing to the blackmail of those who have been trampling on you for three years, your broke the backbone of our state, committing political and moral suicide.

"Unlike you, Edmon, Hrayr and the other members of the Constitutional Court never succumbed to blackmail, unafraid of the madman's threats and hysterical fits. They never succumbed to cheap manipulations. Do you know why? Because they had dignity.

"There aren't any longer 'sides' in the Republic of Armenia. You are either with the madman or the people. I was ready myself to be your 'project' today had you chosen to stand by the people. But you opted for being ousted from the political arena with the vermin. You will be ousted, bearing forever the stigma of the 'former' [authorities' servant] and a 'pro-Nikol' figure. Make no doubt about that! We are going to leave behind also that institute of political slaves.

"Honorable members of Bright Armenia,

"If there are people among you who still accept the reality as it is - not that of Pashinyan's Facebook [lives] - do become an opposition! A real opposition. Do leave the ranks of the cataclysmic government, and stand by the people! The people will be thankful, and we, your obedient servants, will be thankful to you. You still have the chance to abandon the downcast future.

"The National Assembly of Armenia already has one opposition [force] - in the image of the Prosperous Armenia party (PAP). Notwithstanding all the political persecutions, each and every of them will carry his or her chin in and the crown of his or her head high, because they unhesitatingly did their best to prevent the destruction of the rule of law state.

"Blessed are those with a strong spirit!"

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The draft law proposing amendments to the Constitution of Armenia passed the National Assembly's first and second readings on Monday.

In a statement released later the same day, the opposition Prosperous Armenia party said their lawmakers had initiated a petition, "exercising the authority vested in them under the Constitution and other legal acts",  to apply to the Constitutional Court to dispute the compliance of the adopted amendments with Articles 4, 5, 6, 168 and 169 of the organic law. They also submitted the signatures collected and the justification enclosed to the appeal to opposition lawmakers from Bright Armenia, asking for their support to the initiative.

At a news conference on Wednesday morning, Marukyan announced his political team's decision, saying that they are not joining the PAP and opting instead for applying to the Constitutional Court on July 7 (after the end of the examination of the case dealing with second President Robert Kocharyan).